Decision

To authorise the clearance and disposal of possessions remaining at xx Berrymill Close following the expiry of the Notice to Quit and TORT notice period, and to proceed with recovery of the property to enable void works and re-letting.

Reasons for the decision

The tenant, xxx, is understood to have vacated the property in January 2026. A Notice to Quit was served on 28 May 2026 and expired on 28 June 2026. Following entry to the property, a TORT notice and inventory were completed, providing 21 days for collection of belongings. No contact was received from the tenant or any representative following service of either notice. All known contact numbers were unavailable and no email address was held. The tenant had not occupied the property since January 2026 and rent arrears had accrued. It was considered highly unlikely that the possessions would be reclaimed and that storage would result in additional unnecessary costs to the council. Clearance of the items would allow possession of the property to be formalised, necessary repairs completed and the property returned to use as quickly as possible.

Alternative options considered

• Remove the possessions and place them into storage pending further contact from the tenant.
• Delay action and leave the possessions within the property.
• Seek a court order before taking further action.

These options were considered but rejected due to the absence of any contact from the tenant, the ongoing costs associated with retaining or storing the possessions and the need to return the property to productive use.